The present invention provides a hitch carriage to which a trailer is coupled. The hitch carriage is connected to a towing vehicle and functions to reduce the load carried by the towing vehicle and to stabilize the trailer as it is towed.
Recognition of the world's rapidly dwindling energy supplies, especially fossil fuels, has motivated the automobile industry to design and manufacture fuel efficient automobiles. In order to increase fuel efficiency, automotive designers have reduced the weight of the automobile and lowered the horsepower of its engine. Such light vehicles have light duty suspensions not suitable for towing most trailers, especially recreational or house trailers. Although the suspension systems on modern cars cannot adequately support the tongue weight of most modern recreational trailers, with proper gearing and modification of the drive train, these lighter vehicles have the necessary towing power to pull such trailers over the road. A need has arisen, therefore, for an auxiliary carriage capable of bearing a majority of the downward trailer load.
Even if the towing vehicle itself is quite capable of handling the trailer, air turbulence created by large vehicles as they pass the trailer and by crosswinds can cause the trailer to sway. The swaying motion of the trailer is transmitted to the towing vehicle forcing the driver to continually fight the wheel in order to compensate for trailer sway. Accordingly, an auxiliary carriage connected between the trailer and the towing vehicle can attenuate the swaying motion transferred to the towing vehicle, thereby easing the driver's efforts in steering the towing vehicle.
It is the general object of this invention, therefore, to provide a trailer hitch carriage for connecting a trailer to a towing vehicle.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a trailer hitch carriage having a suspension system providing resilient resistance to dynamic downward trailer loads of varying magnitudes resulting from the unevenness of the road over which the trailer is towed.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a trailer hitch carriage adapted to carry most of the downward trailer load.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a trailer hitch carriage capable of accommodating trailers having a variety of tongue heights.
It is another object of this invention to provide a trailer hitch carriage having a suspension system operable to connect dynamic downward trailer hitch movements into rotary movements which are resiliently resisted by means in the hitch carriage.